Microvaporizer mouthpiece with flavored filament

ABSTRACT

A flavored mouthpiece filament for a microvaporizer that can infuse vapor with the flavoring before the vapor is delivered to a user. The mouthpiece filament covers either a substantial portion of the diameter of the mouthpiece opening on the microvaporizer, or covers a partial portion of the mouthpiece opening by having an air channel that extends through the filament.

This invention relates to a mouthpiece filter of a microvaporizer, inparticular a filament for a mouthpiece in an electronic cigarette thatprovides flavoring to the vapor before the vapor is received by a user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The commercial electronic cigarette (also called an “e-cigarette”)typically includes a mouthpiece, a tank to store liquid for vaporization(the liquid is also called an “e-liquid”), a heating element tovaporizer the e-liquid, and a battery that powers the heating element.When a user turns on the e-cigarette, the battery provides power to theheating element to vaporizer the e-liquid that is delivered to theheating element, and a user receives the e-liquid vapor through themouthpiece.

The stored e-liquid in the tank can have nicotine with flavoring, or canhave only nicotine without the flavoring. A user may want to change thevapor flavoring of before the e-liquid in the tank is depleted and a newliquid with a different flavoring can be refilled in the tank. It isinconvenient to exchange the different flavored e-liquids from the tank,especially due to difficulties in removing and refilling the e-liquidthrough the small openings to the tank.

In addition to the inconvenience, it is economically costly to removeunfinished e-liquid from the tank to replace for another e-liquid of adifferent flavoring. To have a change in flavoring, user would have tobuy extra e-liquids before they are depleted. Or, the user would have towait until the e-liquid is depleted before switching to another flavor.Therefore, there is a desire in the field to further improve the user'sconvenience and increase the possibility for a user to choose andexchange between vapor flavors before the e-liquid in the tank isdepleted while minimizing the cost increase in the process.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The improved mouthpiece with flavored filament increases convenience fora user to change vapor flavoring by putting the flavoring in themouthpiece filament. To change flavoring, the user can exchange thefilament in the mouthpiece portion or can exchange the mouthpieceportion with the filament, which are the end portions of an e-cigaretteand easily accessible. By exchanging only the flavored filament, or themouthpiece portion with the flavored filament, a user can utilize thestored e-liquid to the maximum, and the economic cost increase forexchanging between different flavoring is reduced.

Furthermore, if a user exchanges the flavored filament or the mouthpieceportion before the flavoring is depleted, the user can exchange betweendifferent flavoring by reusing the previously-unfinished flavoredfilaments without having to discard the exchanged mouthpiece portions.

An embodiment of a mouthpiece having a flavored filament as describedincludes a mouthpiece casing, a delivery opening in the casing, and afilament covering the delivery opening. The filament includes an essenceconfigured to provide flavoring to a vapor. The mouthpiece portion canbe disposable.

A microvaporizer, such as an e-cigarette, with the improved mouthpieceas described, includes a mouthpiece, a filament in the mouthpiece, aliquid tank connected to the mouthpiece, a heating element that producesvapor using an e-liquid from the liquid tank, and a battery thatoperates the heating element. The mouthpiece filament has a flavoringessence that provides flavor to the vapor.

A user obtains flavored vapor from an e-cigarette having the flavoredfilament in a mouthpiece through the process of delivering fluid to aheating element to produce vapor, producing vapor into a vapor chamberwithin a mouthpiece of the microvaporizer, inducing a suction pressureto a mouthpiece of the microvaporizer, using the suction pressure,dragging the vapor through a filament in the mouthpiece, diffusing aflavor from the filament into the vapor when the vapor is being draggedthrough the filament, and receiving a flavor infused vapor after thevapor is dragged through the filament.

The filament in the mouthpiece portion can be a filament that covers theentire diameter of the mouthpiece opening. The filament can also fillonly a partial diameter of the mouthpiece opening by having an airchannel that extends through the filament from a filament surface on theedge of mouthpiece opening to a filament surface that is exposed to thevapor chamber inside the mouthpiece. The filaments are infused withflavors that can be diffused into the vapor as the vapor is draggedthrough the filament in the mouthpiece opening by a user's suctionaction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of an e-cigarette having a filament in themouthpiece opening.

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a first embodiment filament that coversthe full diameter of the mouthpiece opening.

FIG. 3 depicts the flow of vapor in an e-cigarette that uses the firstembodiment filament.

FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of a second embodiment filament having anair channel, and the filament covers a partial portion of the diameterof the mouthpiece opening.

FIG. 5 depicts the flow of vapor in an e-cigarette that uses the secondembodiment filament.

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the mouthpiece opening in FIG. 5, showing afirst method of vapor infusion through the second embodiment mouthpiece.

FIG. 7 is a detailed view of the mouthpiece opening in FIG. 5, showing asecond method of vapor infusion through the second embodimentmouthpiece.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A microvaporizer 100, such as an e-cigarette, is shown in FIG. 1. Themicrovaporizer 100 includes a mouthpiece 101, a tank 103, and a battery105. A heating element 111 is placed between the battery 105 and thetank 103. The tank 103 has a storage chamber 109 that stores e-liquidfor vaporization. The mouthpiece 101 encloses a vapor chamber 107between the tank 103 and the mouthpiece opening 113.

The microvaporizer 100 has a filament 115 that is placed in themouthpiece opening 113, such that the mouthpiece opening is partiallycovered or fully covered by the filament 115. The filament 115 has athickness D1 that extends from the edge of the mouthpiece openingFilaments of different material, thickness, and shape can be placedinside the mouthpiece opening. Although filaments in a cylindrical shapeare shown in the figures, the filaments can be a cylinder, cuboid,sphere, triangular prism, pyramid, cone, a partial portion of theseshapes, or a combination thereof.

A first embodiment filament is shown in FIG. 2. The first embodimentfilament fully covers the mouthpiece opening, i.e., the filament coversthe entire diameter of the mouthpiece opening. A second embodimentfilament partially covers the mouthpiece opening, and is shown in FIG.3, i.e., the filament covers a partial portion of the diameter of themouthpiece opening.

The first and second embodiment filaments can be provided with liquidflavor essence that can diffuse into the vapor, or the flavor essencecan be embedded in the filament material as solid pieces that releasethe flavoring as the vapor is drawn through the filament.

When a user provides suction to the mouthpiece to receive vapor, theuser directly touches the delivery side of the filament in themouthpiece opening. The suction pressure draws the vapor through thefilament from the vapor chamber on the vapor side towards the user onthe delivery side of the filament. As the vapor is drawn through thefilament, flavoring from the flavoring essence is released from thesolid pieces, or diffused out of the liquid essence, to infuse with thevapor.

The first embodiment filament 205 in FIG. 2 is placed in the mouthpieceopening 211 of mouthpiece 200. Mouthpiece 200 includes a casing 201 thatdefines a mouthpiece opening 211 and a vapor chamber 203.

In a cylindrical shape, the first embodiment filament has a diameterthat is substantially the same as the diameter of the mouthpieceopening, and substantially covers the mouthpiece opening, such asbetween about 90%-100% and about 95%-98% of the diameter. The firstembodiment filament has an axis A provided at the radially centerportion along the length of the filament. In shapes other thancylindrical, such as rectangular, circular, conical, hexagonal, or acombination thereof, the filament is provided to cover a substantialdiameter, such as between about 90%-100% and about 95%-98% of thediameter of the mouthpiece opening.

The filament 205 has a delivery side 207 that is exposed to the outsideenvironment of the mouthpiece 200, and a vapor side 209 that is exposedto the vapor chamber 203 inside the mouthpiece 200. A thickness D2 ofthe filament 205 is measured from the delivery side 207, which can abutthe external edge of the mouthpiece opening 211, to the vapor side 209that is exposed to the vapor chamber. The filament thickness D2 isbetween about 0.01 inches to 0.7 inches, about 0.1 inches to 0.5 inches,and about 0.2 inches to 0.3 inches. The filament thickness D2 can bedetermined based on how much flavoring is desired to be infused into thevapor when the vapor goes through the filament before reaching the user.

The filament 205 can be made of a porous material that traps flavoressence in the filament, such as synthetic fibers, processed cellulosefibers including paper and cotton, and a combination thereof. Thefilament 205 can be disposable by itself, such that the filament 205 isremovable and exchangeable in a permanent mouthpiece. Alternatively, themouthpiece 200 can be disposable as a unit that includes the filament205, and the mouthpiece 200 can be replaceable.

Application of the first embodiment filament 315 in a mouthpiece 300 ofan e-cigarette is shown in FIG. 3. The mouthpiece 300, having amouthpiece casing 301 that defines a mouthpiece opening 323 and a vaporchamber 305, is connected to a tank 303 and a heating element 309. Themicrovaporizer produces vapor flow 311 by delivering e-liquid stored inthe storage chamber 307 of the tank 303 to the heating element 309. Thevapor flow 311 flows from the heating element 309 towards the vaporchamber 305, and creates a flow of pre-infusion vapor flow 313 in thevapor chamber 305 prior to exiting the mouthpiece 300.

When a user creates a suction pressure on the outside of the mouthpieceopening 323, the suction pressure draws the pre-infusion vapor flow 313through the vapor side 317 into the filament 315 to infuse withflavoring essence that is provided in the filament 315. The vaporinfusing flow 321 is drawn through the filament 315 along the length ofthe filament D3, and along the axis A of the filament. When the vaporinfusing flow 321 reaches the delivery side 319 of the filament 315, theresulting infused vapor flow 325 is drawn out of the mouthpiece opening423 towards the user. A substantial amount of the vapor, such as betweenabout 90%-100%, and 95%-98%, that the user receives on the delivery sideof the first embodiment filament includes the infused vapor flow 325.

A second embodiment filament 405 is shown in FIG. 4. The filament 405covers the mouthpiece opening 413 and the vapor chamber 403 that aredefined by a casing 401. The second embodiment filament 405 onlypartially covers the mouthpiece opening 413, i.e., the filament 405covers a partial diameter of the mouthpiece opening 413.

The filament 405 has a delivery side 409 that is exposed to the outsideenvironment of the mouthpiece 400, and a vapor side 411 that is exposedto the vapor chamber 403 inside the mouthpiece 400. A thickness D4 ofthe filament 405 is measured from the delivery side 409, which can abutthe external edge of the mouthpiece opening 413, to the vapor side 411that is exposed to the vapor chamber 403. The filament thickness D4 isbetween about 0.01 inches to 0.7 inches, about 0.1 inches to 0.5 inches,and about 0.2 inches to 0.3 inches. The filament thickness D4 can bedetermined based on how much flavoring is desired to be infused into thevapor when the vapor goes through the filament before reaching the user.

The second embodiment filament 405 has an air channel 407 that extendsfrom the delivery side 409 to the vapor side 411. The air channel 407 isplaced and extended along the axis A of the filament at the radiallycenter portion of the filament 405. For example, the air channel 407 isconcentric to the perimeter of the filament 405. In another embodiment,the air channel can be placed at an off-center position that does notalign with the axis A.

The air channel 407 has a vapor side opening 417 that opens into thevapor chamber, and a delivery side opening 415 that opens towards theexternal environment and the user. Although the air channel 407 is shownto be straight, the air channel can alternatively be curved, tapered,spiraled, or having a path that is extended in multiple directions inthe filament. The openings 415, 417 and the air channel 407 are shown tohave the same diameter, and the diameter is between about 0.01 inches to0.3 inches, preferably between about 0.05 inches to 0.2 inches.

In another embodiment, the delivery side opening and vapor side openingare the same in diameter, and the air channel has a different diameterfrom the openings. Alternatively, the delivery side opening, the vaporside opening, and the air channel can all have different diameters. Theair channel can also have a non-linear flow path, such that thediameters of different section inside the air channel can be different.Regardless of the shape of the air channel and the diameters of theopenings, the air channel fluidly communicates between the externalenvironment of the mouthpiece and the vapor chamber.

In a cylindrical shape, the second embodiment filament has a diameterthat is substantially the same as the diameter of the mouthpieceopening, and partially covers the mouthpiece opening, such as betweenabout 30%-90%, about 40%-75%, and about 55-65% of the diameter of themouthpiece opening, and the air channel delivery side opening at themouthpiece opening is between about 10%-70%, about 25%-60%, and about35%-45% of the diameter of the mouthpiece opening. In shapes other thancylindrical, such as rectangular, circular, conical, hexagonal, or acombination thereof, the filament is provided to cover a partialdiameter, such as between about 30%-90%, about 40%-75%, and about 55-65%of the diameter of the mouthpiece opening. In the alternative filamentshapes, air channel delivery side opening at the mouthpiece opening isbetween about 10%-70%, about 25%-60%, and about 35%-45% of the diameterof the mouthpiece opening.

The filament 405 can be made of a porous material that traps flavoressence in the filament material, such as synthetic fibers, processedcellulose fibers including paper and cotton, and a combination thereof.The filament 405 can be disposable by itself, such that the filament 405is removable and exchangeable in a permanent mouthpiece. Alternatively,the mouthpiece 400 can be disposable as a unit, such that the entiremouthpiece 400, including the filament 405, is replaceable.

Application of a second embodiment filament 515 in a mouthpiece 523 of amicrovaporizer 500 is depicted in FIG. 5, and two methods of vaporinfusion in a second embodiment filament that is placed in a mouthpieceof a microvaporizer, such as filament 515, are shown in further detailsin FIGS. 6 and 7.

The mouthpiece 523 has a casing 501 that defines the mouthpiece opening519 and the vapor chamber 505. The mouthpiece 523 is connected to a tank503 that holds a storage chamber 507 for storing e-liquids, and alsoconnected to a heating element 509. When the heating element 509produces vapor, the vapor flow 511 exits the heating element 509 towardsthe vapor chamber 505, and forms a pre-infusion vapor flow 513 in thevapor chamber 505 that can be drawn through the filament 515.

A first method of vapor infusion flow inside a second embodimentfilament, shown in FIG. 6, allows vapor flow only through the airchannel, and not through the vapor side surface of the filament. Thefilament 605 having an air channel 611 is provided inside the mouthpieceopening 615 in the mouthpiece 600. The air channel 611 extends throughthe filament 605 from the vapor side 607 to the delivery side 609 of thefilament, and the air channel 611 has a vapor side opening 613 and adelivery side opening 617 that corresponds to the surfaces of thefilament 605.

The filament 605 can be made of a porous material. However, the vaporside 607 has a non-porous surface facing the vapor chamber 603, whichacts as a barrier to the pre-infused vapor flow 621 such that vapor isnot able to go through the surface on the vapor side 607 to enter thefilament 605. The material of the surface of the filament 605 on thevapor side 607 and the surface on the delivery side 609 can bedifferent. The delivery side 609 can be either porous or non-porous.

When the filament surface on the vapor side 601 is non-porous, theuser's suction pressure applied on the mouthpiece 600 moves asubstantial amount of the pre-infused vapor flow 621, produced andcirculated in the vapor chamber 603, towards the air channel 611. Thepre-infused vapor flow 621 is not able to enter the filament 605 throughthe surface of the filament 605 on the vapor side 607.

When the vapor flow 621 is drawn through the air channel 611 from thevapor side opening 617 towards the delivery side opening 613, a portionof the flavor essence in the filament 605 is extracted out of thefilament to diffuse into the vapor flow 623 in the air channel 611. Theextracted flavor essence 625 is drawn out of the filament 605 by apressure induced by the suction pressure and the movement of the vaporflow 623 in the air channel 611. When the vapor flow 623 reaches thedelivery side opening 613 of the air channel 611, the vapor is infusedwith flavoring. A user providing the suction pressure on the mouthpieceopening 615 receives the resulting flavor infused vapor 627 thatincludes the pre-infused vapor 621 and the flavor essence provided bythe filament 605.

In another method, in which both surfaces on the delivery side and thevapor side of a second embodiment filament are porous, the vapor flow isallowed to flow through both the air channel and the filament directly.FIG. 7 shows an exemplary filament 705 that placed in a mouthpieceopening 715 of a mouthpiece 700 having a casing 701. The filament 705has a vapor side 707 and a delivery side 709, and an air channel 711that extends through the filament 705 from the vapor side 707 to thedelivery side 709. The vapor side 707 of the filament 705 has a poroussurface such that the pre-infused vapor 721 in the vapor chamber 703 canbe drawn into the filament through the vapor side 707. The delivery side709 can have a porous or a non-porous surface.

When a suction pressure is applied on the mouthpiece opening 715, aseparate vapor portion 723 of the pre-infused vapor flow 721 is drawninto the filament 705 through the surface of the filament 705 on thevapor side 707, and the other portion of the pre-infused vapor flow 721enters the vapor side opening 717 of the air channel 711. As theseparated vapor portion 723 passes through the filament 705 towards theuser, the separated vapor portion 725 is infused with flavoring that isprovided in the filament 705, and becomes a flavor infused vapor 725when the separated vapor portion 723 reaches the surface of the filament705 on the delivery side 709. The other portion of the pre-infused vapor721 is drawn directly through the air channel 711 to the delivery sidewithout passing through the filament 705. The pre-infused vapor 721 mayonly have a minimal amount of flavoring when it exits through thedelivery side opening 713 of the air channel 611. The vapor that theuser received on the delivery side 709 includes both the pre-infusedvapor 721 and the flavor infused vapor 723.

In both of the flavor infusing methods using the second embodimentfilament, the user would encounter less resistance from drawing thevapor through the filament than in the method using the first embodimentfilament. However, the user would receive a flavor infused vapor fromthe second embodiment filament that has less flavoring than a flavorinfused vapor from the first embodiment filament. By adjusting thediameter of the air channel in the second embodiment filament, the airchannel can be used to control the amount of flavoring that a user wouldreceive in the flavor infused vapor.

In addition, both of the first and second embodiment filaments describedcan be made to only allow a one-direction flow through the filamentmaterial, from the vapor side to the delivery side of the filament, toprevent backwashing of vapor and contaminant

While the invention has been described in connection with what ispresently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment,it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to thedisclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover variousmodifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

1. A microvaporizer comprising: a mouthpiece; a filament in themouthpiece; a liquid tank connected to the mouthpiece; a heating elementconfigured to receive a liquid from the liquid tank, the heating elementproduces vapor using the liquid; and a battery connected to the heatingelement; wherein the filament includes a flavoring that is configured tobe diffused into the vapor.
 2. The microvaporizer of claim 1, whereinthe filament is disposable and replaceable from the mouthpiece.
 3. Themicrovaporizer of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece including the filamentis disposable.
 4. The microvaporizer of claim 1 further comprising avapor chamber within the mouthpiece, the vapor chamber is upstream ofthe filament.
 5. The microvaporizer of claim 4, wherein the filamentincludes a vapor side facing the vapor chamber and a delivery sidefacing the environment, the filament is configured to allow a flow ofvapor to flow through the filament from the vapor side to the deliveryside.
 6. The microvaporizer of claim 5, wherein the filament includes anair channel that extends through the filament from the vapor side to thedelivery side.
 7. The microvaporizer of claim 1, wherein the filament ismade of a porous material and the flavoring is embedded in the material.8. The microvaporizer of claim 1, wherein the microvaporizer is anelectronic cigarette, an electronic cigar, or a combination thereof. 9.An electronic cigarette mouthpiece comprising: a casing having a vaporend and a delivery end; a delivery opening on the delivery end of thecasing; and a filament that fills the delivery opening, and the filamentincludes an essence configured to provide flavoring to a vapor.
 10. Theelectronic cigarette mouthpiece of claim 9, wherein the filamentincludes a vapor side and a delivery side, the filament is configured toallow a one-direction flow of vapor to flow through the filament fromthe vapor side to the delivery side.
 11. The electronic cigarettemouthpiece of claim 10, wherein the vapor flows through the filament dueto an induced suction pressure exerted by a user on the delivery side ofthe filament.
 12. The electronic cigarette mouthpiece of claim 9,wherein the filament is made of a porous material.
 13. The electroniccigarette mouthpiece of claim 9, wherein the filament includes a vaporside and a delivery side, the filament includes an air channel thatextends through the filament from the vapor side to the delivery side.14. The electronic cigarette mouthpiece of claim 13, wherein a surfaceof the filament on the vapor side is non-porous and a surface of thefilament on the delivery side is porous.
 15. The electronic cigarettemouthpiece of claim 13, wherein the air channel is straight, curved,spiraled, non-linear, or a combination thereof.
 16. A method to provideflavoring to a vapor produced by a microvaporizer, comprising deliveringfluid to a heating element of a microvaporizer to produce vapor;producing vapor into a vapor chamber within a mouthpiece of themicrovaporizer; inducing a suction pressure to a mouthpiece of themicrovaporizer; dragging the vapor through a filament in the mouthpieceusing the suction pressure; diffusing a flavor from the filament intothe vapor while the vapor is dragged through the filament; and receivinga flavor infused vapor after the vapor is dragged through the filament.17. The method of claim 16, wherein the microvaporizer is an electroniccigarette, an electronic cigar, or a combination thereof.
 18. The methodof claim 16, wherein the suction pressure is induced by a user.
 19. Themethod of claim 16, wherein a substantial portion or a partial portionof the vapor is dragged through an air channel in the filament.
 20. Themethod of claim 16, wherein the vapor is dragged through the filament bypulling the vapor through a surface of the filament exposed to the vaporchamber towards a surface of the filament exposed to an externalenvironment outside of the microvaporizer.